Galveston Cruiser

Jeez: you said one had to reserve one night at a time! Just go to MDR and make a reservation for one night or for the entire cruise. Have a Happy New Year

And a poster stated you could only reserve one night at a time. Asked/answered.

And? The post is for information.

Not true, The last 5 cruises we had MTD. Made reservations the first night for same time, same table throughout the cruises. We did advise staff when we would not be in MDR, but at a specialty restaurant.

Sorry for the delay in responding; just off a cruise this morning. I have traveled all my life so I find it easy to plan trips; never have a written itinerary. DH books the cruises once we decide where we want to go; I plan air, lodging and rental car. There are sites that list all available cruises as well as recommendations for lodging and transportation. Many prefer trains when traveling through Europe but I lived in several countries and prefer the freedom of driving. Maps are available for each and every country, region and city .for planning lodging. Plan your budget and go from there.

We have sailed 18 TA's/repositioning cruises; some B2B2B of 28 - 33 days. Next October we are taking the Adventure of the Seas from Port Canaveral to Lisbon then Voyager of the Seas from Barcelona back to Port Canaveral with 4 nights between. Of course there is another TA B2B2B in the spring from Florida ending in Italy and several shorter cruises prior to this...

There are several hotels as well as individual rentals. Very easy to search for accommodations. We much prefer staying in Civitavecchia as we have been to Rome several times. Have enjoyed great restaurants and cafes in this city,

Supply and demand affect pricing everywhere. Our island sees more than 8.1 million visitors annually. There are local events most weekends. Prices are higher on weekends as they are in most tourist areas.

What day of the week does the ship Dock? If a Sunday, the 12:12 fight is most certainly doable. The car service should use the toll road which makes the trip about an hour fifteen to 1-1/2. I drive this frequently from the island. Should you wish to feel more comfortable with time, take the 14:05

Having lived and driven worldwide, I thoroughly enjoy driving in Italy. As in any big city, traffic and parking can be problematic. I just drove from Marco Polo airport to Florence, Montepulciano and Civitavecchia. Highway system is great with tolls paid by credit card. I can drive a stick, but got a luxury SUV (automatic) for less than a pregnant roller skate. Parking was a somewhat a problem in Civitavecchia, but finally located one a block from where we stayed. Loved having the vehicle for a week to take us wherever and whenever we wanted to go. I have an international driving permit and credit card covers all insurance. BTW: I'm female and 77!!

We just returned from Italy. Flew into Venice, stored un-needed luggage at airport, took Alilaguna to Rialto Bridge (plan on at least 1 -1/2 hours or more from arrival to reach Venice.). Our apartment was a 3 minute walk with no steps or bridges to Campo Manon. Same for return. It was not crowded at all.

See map below. Totally doable.

We have sailed 19 TA;s, Port side going east to west and starboard going west to east for sun. Also protected from any north winds should that occur.

We were also on the TA with 3 friends. We never had an issue finding a table in WJ or the Solarium bistro. However, we did have the age old problem of finding seating in the solarium to enjoy the jacuzzi's. Towels on every chair, 3 people in water! The MDR was a pain due to the added tables, Even the staff could not get through. Overall, it was a wonderful cruise. We have completed 18 TA's and have 5 more booked. Nothing is perfect in life. We make the best of everything being glad we have the opportunity to travel.

You are correct. Port fees are increasing world wide due to increased costs. Port of Galveston just raised fees.

The MSC terminal will be built at Pier 16; scheduled for completion in 2025. They never had any intention of building on Pelican Island. There will not be a cruise terminal on Pelican Island.in the near future and probably never: A) Port of Houston owns the majority of the island; b) there is little infrastructure to support a terminal, C) the bridge and road to and on Pelican Island will not sustain large amounts of traffic and 18 wheelers. E) the bridge desperately needs replacing and, when completed, will be a draw bridge as it is now which would be a traffic nightmare,

It's Harborside Drive; trains can be an issue. The best route is stay on I45 which turns into Broadway. One can turn left onto 51st to go back to Harborside and reach all of the cruise terminals.

Not to my knowledge as they are not based on the island. The port is not far from anything, It would not be economical for them to drive to the island for a pick up going 5 to 15 minutes away; dependent on where one is staying. Travelers should always check directly with the hotel for transportation.

Check with Galvestonlimo.com. They have 10 person vans,

On the Radiance for 28 days, April/May. No issues at all. Had three zoom meetings that lasted several hours.

Koop's Kitchen, 4414 Broadway Galveston Hours: 11-3 Tuesday through Saturday - Wonderful!

Post on Gulf Coast Departures for more information. Galveston is an island, 32 miles long and 2 miles wide at its widest.. Any hotel on Seawall Blvd east of 61st St. is only minutes to the port. Two hotels downtown, The Tremont and Harbor House. RCL pier entrance is at 14th and Harborside. Lots of local great restaurants. Many maps available through Google search. Check out visitgaleston.com

It doesn't matter as OP is connecting to a flight and must pass security at international terminal.

There is an underground train between terminals. It won't take near as long as other airports such as Atlanta (horrible).

We are in our late 70's, have 16 transatlantic and multiple repositioning cruises behind us. Sailing Odyssey in October from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Ft. Lauderdale with 3 TA's booked for next year. We have cruised on most classes of RCL ships and have enjoyed each one. We don't need to be entertained or sail on a specific class. We enjoy traveling. As to food, that is very subjective. We have had excellent and not so excellent food across the fleet and this includes specialty restaurants. No one will go hungry. I would venture to stay the majority eat better on the ship than at home.